Date Range: 1862-1920. Size of Collection: 120 volumes and 2 cartons of loose records. Terms of Access: Available to registered researchers by appointment.

Historical Note

The appointment of Etienne de Bore in 1803 established the office of Mayor of New Orleans, following the Louisiana purchase. For the next nine years, the Mayor was appointed by Governor Claiborne; however, when Louisiana became a state in 1812, the first regular election took place, and Nicholas Girod became the fifth Mayor of New Orleans. While the early history of the Mayors of New Orleans offers an important understanding of the roots of the position, the period following Union occupation of Louisiana in 1862 through the early twentieth century witnesses the period in which the office of Mayor developed into a more modern incarnation. The Mayoral records described here contain documents from 1862-1912, a time of great change for the city of New Orleans, as well as the rest of the United States. The duties of the Mayor under the City Charter, too, witnessed a transformation in the years following the Civil War and the entrance into the twentieth century.

The office of the Mayor changed dramatically during and following the Civil War as a number of military commanders took charge of the city. The 1857 City Charter dictated "that the mayor shall be at least thirty years of age, ten years a citizen of the State and five years a citizen of the city; and shall have the qualifications required for the members of the House of Representatives of the State;" the City Charter of 1896 continued these requirements. Earlier laws limited the Mayor's term of office to two years. However, the years during and following the war witnessed a much more rapid turnover of the city executive, as fourteen men changed office nineteen times from May 1862 to March 1867. After civil government was restored, the Mayor continued to be elected on a biannual basis until the charter of 1882 changed the term of office to four years.

Initially, the charter vested executive power in "one mayor, four recorders, one treasurer, one comptroller, one surveyor, one street commissioner, a board of assessors, and a board of supervisors of assessments" (City Charter, 1857). Legislation enacted in 1870, however, shifted control to the Mayor and a group of seven Administrators. The Charter required these men, in control of a range of important city issues, to compose a written report of their respective departments at the end of each month. This division of authority created the Administrators of Finance, Commerce, Improvements, Assessments, Police, Public Accidents, and Water Works & Public Buildings. By 1896, power became centralized "in one Mayor, one Comptroller, one Treasurer, one Commissioner of Public Works, one Commissioner of Police and Public Buildings and one City Engineer." The changes in executive power reflected changing needs of the city as it developed and progressed.

The City Charter named the Mayor as the chief executive of the city and the "ex officio justice and conservator of the peace." The Mayor further held the power of veto over legislation passed by the City Council, given that he returned objectionable legislation within five days of receiving it; legislation then met a vote from the City Council, two-thirds of whom could override the veto. The Mayor could call a meeting of the City Council whenever he felt the need, or when five councilmen requested such. Other duties that did not change between 1862-1912 include the duty of the Mayor to send copies of legislation passed by the Council to relevant parties, to sign bonds of the city related to consolidated debt, to be an elector in matters relating to city-held stock, to raise mortgages, and to create and use of the city seal on official documents. The Mayor was also given the duty to report city officials who committed crimes while in office. Following accusations in 1894 that John Fitzpatrick did not follow his duty as Mayor by suspending an official on charges of bribery, the 1896 City Charter required this duty and made failure to comply subject to impeachment. The 1857 Charter required the Mayor to report to the City Council on the condition of the city "from time to time," but this requirement became more stringent and required the Mayor make a monthly report to the Council.

City laws gave the Mayor the power to issue a number of different permits for markets and places of entertainment. Various ordinances gave the Mayor power to license bakeries, coffee houses, theaters, balls, and a number of other places of business; vehicles, liquor, gunpowder sales, and prostitutes also fell under those things requiring mayoral permission. Under ordinance 228, A.S., an ordinance passed in July 1870, the Mayor gained permission, at his discretion, to grant free permits for businesses using less than fifty dollars of capital, assuming the person applying was "unable to earn a living by ordinary labor."

The Mayor's earlier duties, as listed in the 1857 City Charter, included appointing police officers, policemen, and watchmen, as well as the ability to dismiss said positions. The Metropolitan Police act, approved March 5, 1869, however, prohibited the mayor from selecting members of the police force or from disbanding them. In 1877, ordinance 3889 restored control to the Mayor and the Administrator of Police. Act Number 63 of 1888 established a Police Board in which the Mayor was the presiding officer and commander in chief of police. The roles of the Mayor in relation to the police force changed in scope as the Mayor's power was deemed more or less threatening.

Following the Civil War, the Mayor was granted permission to select a druggist to distribute free medicine to poor citizens of New Orleans. Ordinance 1011, A.S. of August 1871 granted this form of public welfare. Other charity ordinances emerging in the 1870s ordered the Mayor to make monthly visits to "the Boys' House of Refuge, the Insane Asylum, the Asylum for the Aged and Infirm, the Parish Prison, etc., to examine the condition of said institution" (ordinance 4956, A.S., March 1879). The Mayor's position started to become a moral supervisor of the town to ensure all of its citizens were properly looked after.

City history and education also began to become important tasks of the Mayor throughout the 1870s. Ordinance 1035, A.S. of August 1871 declared the Mayor should be in charge of appointing a keeper of the City Archives, while ordinance 1966, A.S. in January 1873 put the Mayor in charge of a city library. These newly created positions of authority for the Mayor evidence progress being made in nineteenth century New Orleans.

As the city of New Orleans developed, powers granted to the Mayor changed to varying degrees, giving him longer terms in office and a more important role in the community.

New Orleans (La.) Office of the Mayor records.
Petitions addressed to the Mayor; also calendar of suits involving the city.

1 v.

The first few pages of the book are dedicated to debate on financing and creating a high class hotel in New Orleans. Issues of increased revenue and the ability to find donors.

The rest of the manuscript includes documentation of suits and petitions against the city of New Orleans. The records indicate in what court the case originated, an abstract of the contents, and what was done by the Mayor's office upon receiving news and results of the suits and petitions. The petitions are related to taxes, railroads, creditors, mortgages, trial and judgment notices, etc.

New Orleans (La.) Office of the Mayor records.
Petition for New High School Buildings for Boys and Girls.

1 v.

A collection of hundreds of pages of signatures requesting new high school buildings be created. The petition reads:

"To the Mayor and Common Council of the city of New Orleans:

"We, the undersigned citizens, taxpayers, voters, former pupils of the public
schools of New Orleans, earnestly urge the prompt erection of new, modern,
and adequate High School buildings both for the boys and girls of our city;
one of these to be a Boys' High School, the need of which is urgent, imperative, and recognized by everyone."

Includes signatures from both private citizens and members of important city organizations, such as the Supreme Court of Louisiana, the Court of Appeals, the Civil District Courts, the Cotton Exchange, the Board of Trade, the Stock Exchange, the Progressive Union, Tulane University, and others. Because it includes signatures, addresses, and, where applicable, the names of organizations, it is a good place to find the addresses of specific citizens and their involvement with various organizations.

New Orleans (La.) Office of the Mayor.
Messages from the Mayor referring police problems to different departments.

3 v.

These books are a collection of manuscript and letterpress copies of incoming police reports and the persons to whom they were referred. A majority of the complaints are related to the state of buildings, roads, and other developments and are referred to the City Engineer. Other complaints include noise and other public nuisances, issues with city lighting, licenses, etc. Reports bear the signature of the Mayor's Secretary.

New Orleans (La.) Office of the Mayor.
Messages of the Mayor to the General Council.

29 v.

Note: Only the post 1862 volumes are listed here.

A collection of letters from the various post-Civil War mayors to the Common Council and the Board of Alderman. The collection includes statements from both Democratic and Military Mayors. Includes both general notices, such as calling special meetings of the Board of Alderman and Common Council (a duty of the Mayor under the City Charter) and important information. Relevant issues include drainage of the city of New Orleans, contracts for public improvement, issues related to the conversion from military to civil government, reorganization of the police force, vetoes and related explanation from the mayor, nominations for positions subject to Council approval, commentary on railroads in the city center, paper money and credit issues, sanitary conditions, representation of African-Americans in public offices (such as the school board) and other freedmen issues, issues related to the 1866 riot, flood damage, notifications of death, a letter regarding the gifts of Napoleon III, police strikes and invasion of city hall, financial problems, and executive vs. legislative rights.

New Orleans (La.) Office of the Mayor records.
Letters to Mayor from City Surveyor.

1 v.

A collection of letters from the City Surveyor to the Mayor and other city officials. Includes reports of building permits issued and the amounts issued, reports of conditions of buildings, estimates for repairs, estimates for drainage and other improvements, responses to petitions forwarded by the mayor, etc.

A collection of letters from the City Surveyor. Includes reports of building permits issued and the amounts issued, reports of conditions of buildings, estimates for repairs, estimates for drainage and other improvements, responses to petitions forwarded by the mayor, etc. Complaints listed in [AA501 1888-1895 v.1] from police records, referred to the City Surveyor, may be responded to.

Manuscript and letterpress copies of outgoing correspondence of the Mayor's Office. The letters are addressed to individuals in the city and elsewhere who were engaged in some type of business with the municipal government. Several of the volumes also include copies of the Mayor's messages to the City Council (see also the original messages arranged by councilmanic body and the copies described as Office of the Mayor, Messages to the Council).

Most of the volumes are indexed, though some of the earlier editions are only partially indexed or missing one altogether. Several volumes are missing from the collection, including a number of small gaps from the Civil War and its aftermath, as well as volumes from 1913-1919. A missing volume number indicates a gap in time in the collection; it may represent more than one manuscript collection. The numbers in parenthesis are listed on the covers of later manuscript volumes by the Mayor's office.

New Orleans (La.) Office of the Mayor.
Letters to the Mayor relative to the care of orphans, delinquents, insane persons, and others, 1869-1887.

1 folder [filed with "Various Series"]

Letters from the Conference of Charities and other charity organizations, as well as private citizens. Letters seek asylum for orphaned children, those whose families were too impoverished to care for them, delinquent children, the mentally insane, and others. The Mayor's approval and recommendation to various charity houses was often a necessary requisite to admission or to allowing parents to give up custody of their children. Many letters are from aid workers recommending various placements and convincing the Mayor of the worthiness of their charities. Aid workers are often female. Gives documentation of impoverishment in New Orleans, including inability to care for children after the loss of one parent (often due to the late war).

Manuscript and letterpress. It is similar in nature to the AA501 1888-1895 collection (Messages from the Mayor referring police problems to different departments), but is limited to construction complaints. Complaints originate as police reports and are referred by the Mayor to different city agencies. Complaints include buildings in course of erection, broken bridges, building repairs, building permits, etc. A few non-construction complaints as well. All are signed by the Secretary of the Mayor.

New Orleans (La.) Office of the Mayor.
Record of persons to whom bonds were issued.

1 v. Includes insert.

A detailed record of bond transactions between citizens and the city of New Orleans. Includes the bond number, the date it was issued, to whom the bond was issued, the principal, the total issued, dates of exchange, number of coupons, value of coupons detached, cash paid, and cash received. The insert is a three page document entitled "Statement of Bonds Issued by the City of Carrollton." It includes information on funding bonds and improvement bonds. The bonds give information about private citizens and companies purchasing bonds from the municipality, as well as financial records important to the city of New Orleans.

Ordinance 1442, Section 7, approved in 1854, made the mayor, treasurer, and comptroller sign "all bonds issued by the commissioners of the consolidated debt of the city."

New Orleans (La.) Office of the Mayor.
Record of the issuance of wharf improvement bonds.

1 v.

This register shows the names of persons to whom Wharf Improvement Bonds were issued, the date issued, and the amount of each bond issued, ranging from $1.000 to $75.000. The register also includes names of persons to whom Street Improvement Bonds were issued, the date issued, and the amount awarded, ranging from $1.000 to $41.000. The manuscript proves useful in providing the names of persons and businesses within the city.

New Orleans (La.) Office of the Mayor.
Records of contracts made by the City of New Orleans.

1 v. Indexed.

A collection of complete contracts with various companies for ferry service, railroads, fire departments, etc, as well as a number of leases. Includes the contracts for service, specifications and restrictions, rates to be charged (where applicable), and other necessary information. Includes signatures of mayors and other government officials, information about companies involved with the city of New Orleans, and other related information.

New Orleans (La.) Office of the Mayor.
Permits issued by acting military mayor.

1 v. Indexed.

This manuscript is a collection of records of permission granted to various citizens following Union occupation of Louisiana. Grants permission for meetings, concerts, balls, and parties, mayoral permission for children and the destitute to be accepted into places of asylum, requests for treatment of soldiers and citizens in the charity hospital, price restrictions on such staples as bread, and appointments to official positions. Also includes permits to trade without a license, a duty granted to the mayor by the City Charter. Interesting details of military control, rights granted to African-Americans, etc.

New Orleans (La.) Office of the Mayor.
Permits under ordinance 228 A.S.

1 folder [filed with "Various Series"]

A collection of permits allowing various citizens to operate businesses without a traditional license. Also includes permits for theaters, shooting galleries, the hanging of signs on buildings, etc. A.S. 228, passed in July 1870, granted the Mayor "discretionary authority to relieve from the payment of city license such small shopkeepers or retailers of goods - intoxicating liquors excepted - as are using less than fifty dollars of capital in their businesses - this relief to be given only to those who from age, sickness, infirmity, or other cause, are unable to earn a living by ordinary labor." The City Charter also directs the Mayor to grant permission for theaters, the hanging of signs, and various other businesses as listed. Permits include the type of shop, often listing what will be sold at smaller markets.

New Orleans (La.) Office of the Mayor.
Franchises granted for ferries and wharves.

1v. indexed. Includes insert regarding wharves.

A records of contracts granted to run ferries, the rights to wharf privileges on the public levee, accounts of the revoking of these privileges following the Civil War and amounts of compensation, rights to erect buildings on the levee, railroad contracts, and contracts for rebuilding and repairing wharves.

The insert includes information on locations and area of wharfage, the length of unbuilt space available for wharves, and the length of existing wharf fronts.

The collection gives information on companies that obtained city contracts for wharves, ferries, and railroads. See the City Charter for information on licensing and contracts.

New Orleans (La.) Office of the Mayor.
Special and general orders received by the Mayor from the Chief of Police and from Headquarters, Fifth Military District.

1 v. [filed with "Various Series"]

This collection, in manuscript and printed form, records police and military activity from February 23, 1867 - October 15, 1867. Police activity, orders of court martial trials and their results from General Townsend, notifications of new assignments within the New Orleans police department, statements by President Andrew Johnson, and other related enforcement issues are included in this collection. Most information sent to mayor from military commanders and the chief of police. Includes interesting commentary on the preparations for civil elections in the city of New Orleans.

New Orleans (La.) Office of the Mayor.
Supplementary Personnel Records of City Departments.

1 v.

Includes yearly salaries and the names of those city officials on the payroll. Includes members of the Mayor's Office, Treasurer's Office, Controller's Office, Street Commissioner's Department, Surveyor's Department, and a number of other city positions. Good information about relevant pay as it relates to salary dictated by the city charter, as well as who was occupying the official positions at given dates.

New Orleans (La.) Office of the Mayor.
Clippings: Suit for removal of John Fitzpatrick.

1 v.

A collection of newspaper clippings reporting on the trial of Mayor John Fitzpatrick. Clippings date from November 1894 to January, 1895. The trial, brought by the citizens of New Orleans, was an attempt at impeachment of Mayor Fitzpatrick. The clippings discuss in great detail the proceedings of the case, including witness testimonial, actions of the court, and all charges brought against the mayor. Charges include passing a belt railroad ordinance despite public objection, failure to suspend a councilman under indictment, making contracts for public works without allowing public bidding, and ten other charges. Each day of the case is discussed in full detail.

See City Charter for restrictions and duties of the mayor in regards to the indictments.

Correspondence between the Mayor and the Federal Authorities relative to the
occupation of New Orleans, April 25, 1862 - May 10, 1862.

Pamphlet [click here for an online presentation of this item. Original filed with "Various Series"]

Approved May 7, 1862, Act Number 6031 of the Common Council resolved that 5,000 copies of pamphlets would be made detailing official correspondence between the Mayor and the Common Council, Commodore Farragut, Major General Butler, and the Mayor, and the proceedings of the Common Council regarding the surrender of New Orleans to Federal forces.

Correspondence addresses issues of surrender, pressure to raise the Union flag, and the concerns of Mayor Monroe as to how to protect and serve his now defenseless city. Following the surrender, correspondence details the desire of the city of New Orleans for additional police forces and the need for provisions.

Annual Message of the Mayor [E. Heath] to the Common Council of New Orleans, May 5, 1868.

Pamphlet [click here for an online presentation of this item. Original filed with "Various Series"]

The annual address of Mayor Heath, acting Mayor after General Sheridan's removal of John Monroe, addresses a number of concerns in post-war New Orleans. Issues addressed include the need to escape the reliance on agriculture and the rest of the country for economic survival, paper currency issues, the debt incurred by the late war and how best to repay it, the benefits of street cars, drainage issues, the need for a Waterworks, education issues, including the newly incorporated schools for freedmen, the general condition of the city, crime problems, and charity organizations and places of asylum. A good luck at what central issues New Orleans found itself facing as it worked its way back towards civil government and reentered the Union.

Also includes a report by the Street Commissioner and one by the City Surveyor.